The RAND Blog

commentary

ISIS vs. Al Qaida: Battle of the Terrorist Brands

Rather than thinking of defeating terrorists solely in traditional military terms, it might make sense to think of bankrupting them. It might help to consider the factors that cause luxury brands to lose their luster or big box retailers to fail.

Colin P. Clarke, Steven Metz

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Principals in Small Districts Receive Far Less 'Instructional Leadership' Support, Survey Shows

Until recently, little was known about how much support principals in the United States receive to be effective “instructional leaders.” A national survey shows that mentors and supervisors do provide feedback focused on principals' role in teaching and learning, but the amount varies.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

commentary

Emergencies: France, Mali, and Turkey Are Playing with Fire

The leaders of France, Mali, and Turkey have declared formal states of emergency. France's Hollande and Mali's Keïta, while responding to real threats, are risking democracy. Erdogan appears to be targeting democracy and using Turkey's recent failed coup as a pretext.

Michael Shurkin

commentary

Don't Weaken the U.S.-Japan Alliance, Strengthen It

As long as the United States and Japan stick together, they should have the strength to deter or, if necessary, defeat the threats they face. But if Washington abandons its alliance commitments, the risk of war will rise and America will be less safe.

Scott W. Harold

commentary

Infrastructure Design Must Change with Climate

Until recently, infrastructure engineers could use data on past weather to predict future climate. But this is no longer an option. More and more, engineers must consider the effects of climate change. Failure to do so would threaten public safety.

Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert

q&a

Gaming and Public Policy: Q&A with David Shlapak

David Shlapak discusses how using games in research can help improve decisionmaking across a wide range of areas, including national security, health care, and climate change.

commentary

How Defense Choices Affect Military Readiness

Because the U.S. cannot afford to prioritize and defend against every possible threat, it must accept risk with each decision. And the more adaptive the adversary, the more likely it will confound readiness investments made previously to confront it.

Chad C. Serena, Colin P. Clarke

commentary

Do Economic Ties Limit the Prospect of Conflict?

China has grown stronger economically and militarily over the past 35 years and has become more assertive. Its trade and investment links with Japan are substantial but they have been declining, and are less of a constraint on conflict than before.

Scott W. Harold

commentary

What's in a Name? The Rebranding of the Nusra Front

Jabhat al-Nusra, which recently announced that it was severing its affiliation with al Qaeda, is now Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. This means less than meets the eye, but it does say something about the local atmosphere in Syria.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Domestic Warning Signs of Mass Shootings

After shootings, there is inevitably public debate over gun safety, constitutional rights, police tactics, terrorism, race, and politics. But these discussions rarely focus on a common factor among the perpetrators: a history of violence against women.

Radha Iyengar Plumb

commentary

Health and Safety at the Rio Olympics: It's Not Just About Zika

The risk of contracting Zika in Rio de Janeiro is low. But there is a broader range of health and safety concerns for which travelers can and should take specific precautions.

Melinda Moore

commentary

Sustaining Britain's Role in NATO After Brexit

In this period of geostrategic uncertainty about the future of the UK during its divorce from the EU, the U.S. should provide robust diplomatic and political support to ensure that Britain remains a major military power within the Atlantic Alliance.

F. Stephen Larrabee, Peter A. Wilson

q&a

Q&A: An Unthinkable War Between the U.S. and China

David Gompert, lead author of a RAND report that explores an unthinkable U.S.-China war answers questions about what the study does — and does not — say about the potential for such a war and its possible outcome.

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The Economic Rationale for Investing in Family Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Proven benefits to reduced fertility — or to delayed start to childbearing and greater spacing between births — include lower maternal mortality, fewer unsafe abortions, reduced risks from early childbearing, and women's ability to engage in more income-generating opportunities.

Peter Glick, Sebastian Linnemayr

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The Olympic Legacy — What Can Rio Learn?

Rio will spend $14.4 billion on the Olympics. Like other host cities, it hopes to achieve an “Olympic legacy” to ensure that this investment pays dividends after the games and provides long-term economic, social, sporting, and cultural benefits.

Richard Warnes